Table.



. L. BILLINGSLEY TABLE. APPLICATION FII.ED MAY 16, I914.

Patented July 27,1915.

' 3 SHEETS-SHEET I P. L. BILL-INGSLEY.

TABLE.

mmcmou FILED MAYIG. 1914.

' Patented July 27, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

F'L' /5////'/7y5/cy JNVENTOR WITNESSES Allorneys P. L. BILLINGSLEY.

TABLE. APPLICATION FILED MAYIG. I914.

1,148,070. Patented July 27, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- PERCY L. BILLINGSLEY, OF OCALA, FLORIDA.

TABLE.

Specificatiers Patent. Patented uly 2'7, 1915.

Application filed May 16, 1914. Serial N6. 839,153.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PERCY LEON BILLINGS- LEY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Ocala, in the county of Marion and State of Florida,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tables; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in furniture ofthe so called, take down, variety and has particular reference to tableswhich are adapted to have their component parts easily and quicklyremoved from their assembled relation.

As a principal object this invention contemplates the provision of atable of this character which shall be readily reduced tov the mostcompact form possible for the purpose of shipping from the factory tothe user orfor the purpose of economizing space in storing sucharticles.

A further object of this invention is to attain a rigid and simpleconstruction of a table when in its operative position and to providesimple and effective locking means for normally holding the table insuch position.

A further object is to provide a table of the above described characterof such standard construction that its various component elementsshallreadily interchange with other tables of a similar construction.

A still further object is to dispense with all such ordinary securingmeans between parts as glue, nails, bolts, screws or the like.

An ob ect of "equal importance with the foregoing is to provide a tableofthe type described which is constructed with such regard toproportion, number and arrangement of parts as would be cheaplymanufactured will be durable and eflicient in use and may be readilyassembled by any person not a skilled mechanic with a minimumexpenditure of time and labor and without requiring the use of tools.

The above and additional objects are accomplished by such means as areillustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in the followingspecification and then more particularly pointed out in the claims whichare appended hereto and form a part of the application.

Before taking up the description of the drawings however, it is desiredto emphasize the fact that while my invention has been designed withparticular reference to tables of a, take down, character, has beenillustrated and will be hereinafter described in that connection, itmay, never-the-less, be applied with equal efliciency to chairs or anyother kind of furniture having a somewhat analogous construction.

In the accompanying drawings which are made a part of this application,Figure 1 is a side elevation of a table constructed in accordance with.my invention, Fig.2 is a bottom plan view of the matter shown in Fig. 1,Fig. 3 is a detailelevation of one of the spline bars as used in thisinvention, Fig. 4 is a sectional vinw taken on the line 41- 1 of Fig. 1,Fig.5 is an end elevation of my assembled table, Fig. 6 is a detailsectional view taken on the lane indicated by line 6-6 of Fig. 4, Fig. iis a similar view taken on the line 77 of Fig. elevational view of amodified form of table embodying the principle of my invention, Fig. 9is a bottom'plan view of the table top shown in Fig. 8, Fig. 10 is aplan view of the center brace as used in Fig. 8 and, Fig. 11 is a detailelevational view of one of the legs of the modified form of tableshowing peculiarities of the construction thereof.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, itwill be seen that my table is provided with a top 15 which is composedof the longitudinal panels 16, 17, and 18 which are laid with the longedges in contiguous relation, as shown in Fig. 2. The center panel 17 isprovided with a pair of transverse grooves 19, adjacent its extremitiesand extending. ;completely across its width. Grooves 20 and 21 aresimilarly provided in the panels 16 and 18 respectively and adapted toregister with the groove 19, when all the panels or leaves of the tabletop 15 are properly assembled. These latterly mentioned grooves do notextend across the entire width of their respective panels but terminateat a point slightly beyond halfthe width of the'same as is also shown.in Fig. 4. All'of these registering grooves have their sides downwardlyand in wardly inclined as shown at 22 in the sectional detail of Fig. 6.Adapted to be seated in these registering grooves are splines or 4, Fig.8 is an connecting braces 23 whichv are formed on provided with upwardlyand outwardly inclined edges so as to dovetail with the previouslymentioned transverse grooves. The splines 23 have their outer cornerscut at an angle to the longitudinal trend of the splines and extendinginwardly and at right-angles to the wall formed by removing thesecorners, are dovetail grooves 25 each of which is adapted to receive acorrespondingly shaped extension 26 formed at the upper extremity ofeach of the legs 27. These legs 27, are positioned as customary in theordinary type of table and are each further provided with the gains orhorizontal notches 28, forming a tongue 29, which is adapted to bereceived in suitable slots formed in the extremities of the cross braces30. These cross braces are situated in the same horizontal plane andsuitably lapped, as at 31, at their intersection.

The securing means for preventing the accidental withdrawal of the legs27 from the splines and also to prevent the spreading apart of the tableleaves, consist of the following novel arrangement. A cylindrical.aperture 32, is formed in each of the panels 16 and 18, in such manneras to pass vertically through the panel, the spline, and the upperextremity of the leg, received by the spline. This aperture 32, is alsofurther positioned so that it is bisected by the plane formed by themeeting surfaces of the extension 26 of the leg, and the side of thegroove in juxtaposition, as is clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 7. A pin 33,provided with the flanged head 34, is adapted to seat in this aperture32 in such manner that the enlarged top 34, shall be flush with the topof the table. It will be apparent that this locking means positivelyprevents the withdrawal of the leg 27, from its notch 25,so long as thepin 33, is positioned in the aperture 32, and further the separatepanels of the table top 15, will be held firmly in their assembledrelation and prevented from spreading.

It will be obvious that in assembling a table of this construction fromthe loose parts comprising the three panels of the top,

the two splines, the two cross braces, the four legs, and the fourlocking pins, it is only necessary to proceed as follows. First, thesplines 23, are inserted in the transverse grooves 19, so that theyproject equally be-' yond the opposite sides of the panel. The panels 16and 18, are then slid upon the splines 23, in the obvious manner thatwill allow their grooves 20 and 21, to receive the extension 24, of thespline. The legs 27 are then inserted in their respective aperture 25,in the spline so that the semi-cylindrical cutout portion which has beenformed in each upper extremity will be in proper position to form theremaining portion of the cylindrical aperture 32. The cross braces 30,

having their lapped portions properly assembled are next so positionedin respect to tremities will properly engage the tongue 28, formed bythe horizontal notches 29. These braces 30, prevent any swaying of thetable by holding the legs securely in an uprlght position and the oneremaining operation necessary to the complete assemblage of the table isto insert the locking pins 33 into their respective aperture thuslocking the whole and providing a rigid and strong device.

It is obvious that in separating my table into its component parts, theoperation involved consists of a reversal of the foregoing processes andthat such an operation can be quickly and easily accomplished. Theprojection of the pin 33, as shown in Fig. 7,

the legs, 27, that the slots formed in their exon the inner face of theleg 27, provides a provided with the flattened corner 36. The

grooves 37 are formed in the underportion of. the top 35 and atright-angles to the flattened portions 36, these grooves being formedsimilar to the grooves 19, 20, and 21 of the other form of my table inthat they are provided with downwardly and inwardly bent walls 39. Thelegs of my table are shaped as shown in Fig. 11, in order to give anartistic effect when assembled and are provided with the extensions 40at their upper extremities which are adapted to seat within the grooves37 and to be held therein. Inter-- mediate their ends these legs 39 arealso formed with the transverse gains 41 on opposite faces so that thetongue 42 is thereby provided.

A center brace 43, as shown in Fig. 10, has formed upon its corners thediagonal slots 44 which are adapted to receive the tongue 42 previouslydescribed upon the legs 39.

It will be apparent from a perusal of Fig. 8 that owing to the shape andstructure of this modified small, take down, table that it isunnecessary to provide any locking means for securely holding the legsof the table in their proper position for the reason that any weightapplied to the table top 35 will tend to seatthe tongues 42 even morefirmly in their respective slots 44. However, it is ofcourse understoodthat should I desire to provide locking means with this form of tablethat this right is reserved for cation such combination and arrangementof the matter of proportion and degree of the elementsas constitute thepreferred embodiment of my invention I desire to emphasize the fact thatI may show minor changes in device here disclosed or later adaptationsof my invention to other varieties of furniture as will not alter thespirit of said invention grooves, said splines also having dove-tailed15 grooves in their lower faces, supportinglegs having dove-tailedextensions adapted to enter said latter grooves and locking pinsextending downwardly through said top,

splines and the upper ends of the legs to lock said parts in assembledposition.

2. In atable construction, a top for the table, said top havingdove-tailed grooves in its under face, splines having dove-tailedprojections adapted to cooperate with the grooves in the top, saidsplines havingdovetailed grooves intheir under faces, legs havingdove-tailed projections adapted to cooperate with the grooves in thesplines, pins adapted to extend downwardly through the top, splines andthe upper ends of the legs, 1

the opening through which said pins project intersecting one edge of thegrooves in the spline, the dove-tailed projections on the legs and oneface of the legs, whereby portions of the pins will be exposed.

' 3. In a table, a top, leaves forming said top, and having beveledgrooves formed in their undersurfaces, splines adapted to be received bysaid beveled grooves and likewise provided with beveled grooves upontheir under-surface, removable legs adapted to slidably seat in saidsecond mentioned set of grooves, gains formed in said legs, tonguesformed by said gains, cross braces having elongated slots formed intheir extremities, said slots being adapted to receive said tongues andlocking pins adapted to be received by suitable vertical aperturespassing through said top, said splines and the upper portion of saidlegs in such manner that a lower portion of the pin is exposed forremoval purposes.

' In testimony whereof I have signed my *name tofthis specification inthe presenceaf two. subscribing. witnesses. I PERCY L. BILLINGSLEY.

Witnesses: R. M. BENNETT, CARL JANsEN.

